The US Navy has embarked on a massive plan to develop several undersea drones to undertake a variety of missions. Some of these missions include hunting and destroying mines and in some cases, launching attacks on submarines. The drones will in sense be massive unmanned submarines which they are calling “Orcas”. The Navy has awarded this undertaking to Boeing to build these Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (XLUUV).

Drones like the Orcas will have the capability to sink ships at long ranges. They are expected to revolutionize underwater battles since they can reach territories deemed too dangerous for manned warships. In an official announcement released on February 13, 2019, the Navy said Boeing will be paid $43 million for testing, fabrication, and the delivery of four XLUUV Orcas. This means that each XLUUV will cost about $10 million.

According to the developers, the engineering strategy is to develop new multi-mission drones that can integrate with the latest technology as well as payloads as they emerge. With this strategy, there is no need for the Navy to construct new drones in the futures. The design could involve new weapons systems, upgraded networking systems, and counter mine technologies. Currently, the team has finalized on the designs, and the process is moving to fabrication.

Boeing’s Orcas are modeled on Echo Ranger and Echo Voyager underwater drones. According to data from Boeing, Echo Ranger has a hit range of up to 6,500 nautical miles and can dive underwater up to a depth of 11,000 feet. Boeing’s new drones are expected to far surpass that. As Boeing develops the XLUUV, the Navy is already prototyping the LDUUV (Large Diameter Unmanned Undersea Vehicle) to coexist with the XLUUV. The Navy’s Program Manager for Unmanned Systems, Capt. Pete Small said that they will deliver the prototype by next year, but official production is slated for 2021.

In a 2015 publication from the National Academy of Science, the LDUUV mission is to carry out missions that run for more than 70 days in littoral seas and open oceans. The 2015 essay further stresses on the automated, long-endurance, and advanced sensing capabilities of the drones. The long-endurance and automated features of both XLUUV and LDUUV are consistent with what is captured in the essay. As strategies, application, and missions of these new drones evolve, there is a consensus within the Navy that the drone technology is expected to contribute to the development of new procedures and tactics for undersea attacks.

The autonomy of these undersea drones will make it possible for the service to stretch their mission scopes immensely, including longer range surveillance and attack options. Besides this, the undersea drones could operate in high risks areas, both coastal and deep water. The Orca drones are poised to revolutionize Naval warfare.

Previous Drone News: